Get Crafty: Earth Day Notebooks!

 A causal, crafty get-together is the perfect way to celebrate the Mother we all share…Mother Earth!

Earth Day is April 22^nd, so grab some recyclables and celebrate her in style! Gather your crew (via email or other eco-friendly online invite, of course) for a day of simple craft and yummy eats. This one is great for kids too, so bring them along!

Get your craft on!

Repurpose old cereal boxes to make fun notebooks. Encourage everyone to bring an old cereal box with them to the party. (Any size box will do. I used single serving boxes to make small purse-sized notebooks, but large cereal boxes work great as well.)

Each person will need:

• 1 cereal box
• Paper for inside the notebook (use recycled to be an Earth Day MVP!)
• 2-4 binder clips
• Craft glue, such as Elmers
• Cotton swab or small paintbrush

1. Open up the cereal box and cut it apart to end up with a front and back cover for your notebook.
2. Cut paper to the same size as the cereal box covers.  (You can use a paper cutter for this step, though it isn’t required).
3. Carefully stack the papers inside the cereal box covers, tapping to line it all up.
4. Fasten with binder clips.  There should be no gaps along the spine.
5. Paint a layer of glue with the brush or cotton swab over the edge to bind. (Remove and reapply binder clips as needed). Let it dry and repeat 2-3 times.
6. When the glue has dried completely, remove the binder clips and enjoy your recycled notebook!

Earth Day Grub

While notebooks are drying, it’s time to feed your peeps.  Set your table with cloth linens…even though this is a casual party, cloth is much “greener” than paper for your table! Use clean repurposed tin cans covered in pretty fabrics to hold flowers and utensils.

Serve a few yummy salads made with seasonal and local ingredients.  Here are some ideas from Tablespoon. (Be sure to shop at your local farmers markets to get the freshest ingredients, and deviate from the recipes if needed).

• Spring Raspberry Salad
• Spring Salad with Honey-Mustard Dressing
• Chicken, Spring Vegetable and Pasta Salad

Crispy bread from a local bakery will round out the meal nicely. Or if you are feeling ambitious, try your own bread.  It doesn’t get more local than your own kitchen!

• Traditional White Bread
• Delicious White Bread
• Honey Whole-Wheat Bread
• Light Wheat Bread

For dessert, check out many of these colorful options. To celebrate Mother Earth, stick with blues and greens in your version. These yummy and beautiful desserts will be the perfect finish to the meal.

• Earth Day Cake
• Triple Rainbow Pushup Cakes
• Cupcake Poppers
• Rainbow Cake in a Jar
• The Lorax’s Truffula Trees

Guests with a full belly + a fun, colorful notebook = a successful party!

Happy Earth Day!